The Traffic of viral outbreak movies comes courtesy of that film's director, Steven Soderbergh, a man who never met a multi-tiered narrative he didn't like. Leading the ensemble cast is Matt Damon as an overwhelmed husband and father, and Gwyneth Paltrow as his wife, who dies on day 4 of a fast-moving epidemic that threatens to infect one in 12. Who's next? Laurence Fishburne's CDC chief? Kate Winslet's doctor on the front lines? Marion Cotillard's WHO investigator tracking the virus source to Hong Kong? Jude Law's snaggle-toothed (he's British) blogger? Among the familiar faces, a standout is an actress you might not recognize: Jennifer Ehle (she played a bartender in Damon's The Adjustment Bureau) as a researcher working toward a cure. For all the death and panic, this is a relatively quiet film. If you enjoy the running, jumping Damon of Bourne, his holed-up-in-a-house dad might not be for you. For patient viewers, prepare to let this film infect your nerves.
